It was going to be the “War to End All Wars.” But when America entered the dreaded conflict overseas in 1917, local draft boards all across the nation were forced to make awful decisions: choosing which of their community’s young men should be sent off to fight. Here in Douglas County, Nevada, local County Clerk […]
The Story of Double Springs (Part 2)
Whatever became of James C. Dean? No, not that James Dean. We’re talking 1864. As we saw in Part 1, the person who murdered Fannie Dean at Double Springs Ranch that year wasn’t much of a mystery — at least as far as the neighbors were concerned. Fannie’s husband, station-keeper James C. Dean, was quickly whisked into […]
Old Hans of Jacks Valley, Nevada
Al Livington got a nasty surprise when he stopped by a saloon in Jacks Valley the morning of August 9, 1880: he discovered the proprietor face down on the floor, with a gunshot wound through the chest. Popularly known as “Old Hans,” the saloon owner’s true name was Christopher Johannes Hull. Robbery seemed to be the motive; […]
So Many Mindens
This was the early commercial district of Minden about 1918, roughly a dozen years after its 1905 debut. Business was booming as you can see by the crush of cars, including that svelte roadster at right. The upstart “Minden Creamery” (as it sometimes was casually called) was launched in 1908 at 1620 Water Street, and by […]
The Secret Life of Eugene May (Part 1)
Eugene A. May was a long-time resident of of Empire, the early mining town east of Carson City. You might say he’s still a resident: his quiet grave is tucked in at the little Empire Cemetery, overlooking the valley. Little did we know when first saw his headstone — but May had a secret life! […]
Ham’s and Cook’s Stations on the Amador-Nevada Wagon Road
Have you ever driven past Cook’s and Ham’s Stations on Highway 88, and wanted to know their stories? Yup, these were original old “stations” along the early Amador and Nevada Wagon Road in the 1860s! Here’s the scoop: The “Volcano Cut-Off” had ferried travelers from the Old Emigrant Road in this direction since 1852. Then […]
Old Carson Valley Creamery
This mysterious building on Waterloo Lane used to be something. Carson Valley folks have probably driven by it dozens of times, wondering: what’s its story? Back in the day — 1891, to be precise — this used to be the Carson Valley Creamery. And not just any creamery, mind you; this was a gold-medal-winning local creamery! What got […]